Catastrophic Injury: In 2016, a young by the name of Donovan Hill, who was paralyzed at age 13 as a youth football player, died of complications from surgery related to managing his injury. He was 18. His mother, Crystal Dixon, filed a lawsuit against the national office of Pop Warner — the organization for which Hill played — and won a landmark settlement. The lawsuit claims Pop Warner failed to take proper measures to make sure the coaches were adequately trained. Hill was paralyzed in 2011 as he was making a tackle during a regional championship game. He made the tackle headfirst like his coaches had instructed.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed by Dixon, her catastrophic injury attorney or Pop Warner. But the settlement was a catalyst for another multi-million dollar settlement against the organization. A Wisconsin family said their son committed suicide after suffering from CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a brain injury caused from repeated head trauma, more common in athletes who participate in contact sports. He was 25 at his time of death.
Dixon said Hill’s last words to her were “I love you…” as he was wheeled into surgery. During the procedure, a doctor accidentally cut an artery, and as Hill bled out, he slipped into a coma. He died early the next morning.
Hill’s injury was sustained as he was trying to stop a running back from entering the endzone during the championship game. The player went low with his head, as did Hill. The impact snapped Hill’s neck.
The lawsuit filed by Dixon and Hill’s catastrophic injury attorney stated coaches encouraged the unsafe technique of tackling with the head, and would even go so far as to punish players who didn’t deploy the maneuver in practice. One coach denied the allegations while another coach defended the technique.
During the deposition, the executive director for Pop Warner admitted coaches’ credentials are not thoroughly vetted. Both coaches admitted not following through with training.
Football is one of America’s favorite sports. The Super Bowl brings in billions of dollars every year, and little kids from all walks of life dream of being gridiron heroes. But it is also one of the most dangerous sports, causing hundreds of injuries annually – including a handful of catastrophic injuries. Attorneys who take such cases have to be compassionate, but aggressive when dealing with them; compassionate towards the victim and their families, but aggressive enough to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence.
Unfortunately, many young lives are disrupted and forever changed by this sport, and catastrophic injury attorneys have to know how to deal with not just the legal side of things, but the human element as well.
Jed Kurzban has years of experience dealing with catastrophic injury cases in Hawaii. His practice has a history of yielding results and looking out for the victim of such injuries. He is one of the best in the business and will fight for you and your loved one. If you need a Hawaii catastrophic injury attorney to help you get what you rightfully are entitled to, calling Jed Kurzban is the way to do it.